1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical instrument, more specifically, an ophthalmic medical instrument to be used in ophthalmic examination and treatment, and particularly to an ophthalmic examination and treatment system equipped with a wireless imaging device and a display device for displaying the captured images thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, slit lamps and operation microscopes used in ophthalmic surgery (they are also used in brain surgery) and fundoscopy devices are well known as ophthalmic medical instruments employed during ophthalmic examination and treatment. In those medical instruments, an imaging device is installed permanently or optionally, and this imaging device is used for imaging the condition of the affected area and the state of treatment, and displaying those condition and state on a monitor screen which is a display device provided separately.
A CCD camera has been employed as the aforementioned imaging device in this type of ophthalmic medical instrument, but there is a problem in that a wire-type system where the camera and the display device are connected with a cable is generally employed, making the instrument difficult to use. Thus, when the aforementioned imaging device is attached to a part of the ophthalmic medical instrument which is the primary instrument, it is necessary to provide a cable for transmitting the images from the imaging device to a display device or the like. Moreover, even upon installing the imaging device in a position in the vicinity of the object to be imaged, since this location is also an important section for the primary instrument, the installation position is easily restricted and cases arise where only such installation is possible in which adequate imaging is difficult.
Moreover, although this is not a serious problem when the aforementioned ophthalmic medical instrument is fixedly installed in an ophthalmic examination room or operating room, a problem arises when the instrument is used as a transportable system in a traveling clinic or the like. In particular, since each ophthalmic medical instrument has primary portions with functions inherent thereto, such primary portions also have multiple power cables and transmission cables. Thus, when there were additional cables for the imaging device, the handling thereof became complicated and the cables were sometimes a hindrance during transportation.
Accordingly, the applicant has previously suggested an ophthalmic examination and treatment system using a wireless CCD camera for the aforementioned ophthalmic medical instrument (for example, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3084145).
Significant advantages of such an ophthalmic examination and treatment system are that the wireless CCD camera can be installed in an appropriate position of the instrument, good user friendliness thereof is demonstrated, and an image picked up with the camera can be displayed on a freely installed display device.
Furthermore, there are also ophthalmic examination and treatment systems in which charts produced by handwriting or by a PC input during diagnostics by doctor are converted into electronic format so that they can be displayed on a display device by using the aforementioned wireless CCD camera (for example, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3084146).
Such an ophthalmic examination and treatment system has a significant advantage because it can provide a simple and inexpensive chart management system.
However, in a communication system using wireless communication between the aforesaid wireless CCD camera and a display device receiving the image data signals transmitted from the camera, if the number of cameras or display devices is increased, the system structure becomes complex and there is also a risk of wires getting crossed. Accordingly, certain measures have to be taken.
Thus, if a plurality of the above-described ophthalmic examination and treatment systems are installed, the number of cameras is increased and the number of display devices also increases. Sharing the display devices can be also considered, but if they operate at the same time, transmission and reception of image data using wireless communication between a camera and a corresponding display device becomes unstable.
For this reason, in the ophthalmic examination and treatment systems of this type, certain measures have to be taken to improve user friendliness of the wireless imaging devices mounted on a plurality of ophthalmic medical instruments, to simplify the relationship with the corresponding display device, recording device, or the like, and to improve the overall convenience thereof.